SCIENTIFIC IMPACT AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Scientific Research

Thanks to the sheer dedication and hard work of our scientists, volunteers, teachers, and corporate employees in the field, and support from individuals worldwide, Earthwatch research achieves impressive results.

Around the world, we’re changing environmental policies, achieving historic conservation goals, and making groundbreaking findings. View our timeline to discover just a few of these successes.

EARTHWATCH TIMELINE

2015:
Earthwatch citizen scientists assisted in collecting data that was used by Parks Canada to apply fire treatments, conserve wolves, and restore a threatened native grassland and an aspen community

2015:
Earthwatch citizen scientists assisted in collecting data that was used by the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) to revise the carnivore strategy plan.

2015:
In response to recent declines in rhinoceros populations, Earthwatch and scientist Dawn Scott developed a project to better understand the impacts of dehorning white rhinos.

2014:
Earthwatch researchers authored a national red list assessment for multiple species, information concerning the brown hyaena was included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species update.

2014:
A compilation of 18 years of Earthwatch collected data on the natural history of approximately 10,000 species of caterpillars, plants, and parisitoids through "Climate Change and Caterpillars" was published in PNAS (https://www.pnas.org/content/112/2/442.full).

2013:
Data collected by volunteers on the project "Shark Conservation in Belize" contributed to the listing of five shark species of concern on Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species").

2013:
The Biodiversity Management Plan was formally accepted into South African law. Earthwatch supported research significantly contributed to the BMP, including providing a large amount of data collected by Earthwatch volunteers.

2012:
Dr. Glen Reynolds, lead scientist on Earthwatch project Climate and Landscape Change in Borneo’s Rainforest, is appointed as a scientific advisor on the Biodiversity and High Conservation Values Working Group of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). His research and expertise will inform environmentally and socially responsible development of commercial oil palm cultivation.

2011:
At the culmination of the HSBC Climate Partnership, more than 2,000 Climate Champions from HSBC have mapped and measured more than 15,000 trees belonging to more than 750 species at Earthwatch research plots around the world. These data contribute to knowledge of how forests respond to a changing climate. Data collected by scientists and Earthwatch volunteers at the Indian Institute of Science was used to assess implications of climate impacts on forest product yield and flow in the Western Ghats, as part of the National Communication on Climate Change. Earthwatch has contributed to the U.K. Forestry Commission’s strategic plan.

2011:
Earthwatch Emerging Scientist Award winner Anilkumar Hedge explores the link between firewood extraction and forest degradation in India’s Western Ghats region, where promoting sustainable rural technologies is critical to reducing pressure on the environment. As a result, 43 fuel-efficient wood-burning stoves are installed in the village of Togarilli, reducing the exposure of people to unhealthy smoke from kitchens.

2011:
In the Ol Pejeta Reserve in Kenya, pioneering work on the critically endangered black rhino has contributed to an increase in its numbers from 20 in 1989 to more than 85, protecting one-seventh of the Kenyan black rhino population.

2011:
In Mongolia’s Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, wildlife poaching has been reduced to almost zero, illegal mining has been reduced dramatically, and populations of endangered species such as the argali sheep are growing. Data collected by Earthwatch volunteers lead to the identification of recommended areas for expansion of the reserve. Building on data collected by Earthwatch scientists and volunteers, an ecotourism camp is established that will generate funds for the protected area, create employment for the local community, and help ensure the survival of many endangered species.

2011:
In Costa Rica, Earthwatch research has demonstrated that farmers can increase coffee yields by up to 25% by reducing the use of fertilizers and reducing soil acidity – creating financial returns of up to $1,200 for farmers and improved environmental outcomes.
2011: Surveys and lab analyses carried out on medicinal plants used by communities in Kenya have proved the powerful effects of these species in combating disease and will contribute to efforts to protect these plants in the wild and protect the traditional knowledge of their use among communities.

2011:
In Matura, Trinidad and Tobago, years of work by Matura Earthwatch partner Nature Seekers, informed by data collected by Earthwatchers, culminate in a ban on turtle harvesting in all coastal waters.

2010:
Earthwatch teams discover a 2,000-year-old dog burial at Ban Non Wat, Thailand. The skeleton provides new evidence for the relationships between the area’s prehistoric people and their environment.

2010:
Data collected by Earthwatch teams suggest that African penguins that nest in disused buildings or man-made nest boxes have higher breeding success than those which nest at natural sites. On the same project, scientists are still finding evidence for a clear difference in the breeding success of penguins that were affected by the Treasure oil spill of 2000, compared with birds that were not, as documented by Earthwatch teams in 2009 and 2010. This makes the scientists’ work with the South African government, which has resulted in experimental closures of fisheries on penguin feeding grounds during the breeding season, even more important for this declining species.

2010:
Earthwatch scientists in Japan find that corals that host bacteria resulting from human activity are more vulnerable to stress than those without them. When exposed to high temperatures, corals with bacteria bleached much more; their zooxanthellae (the tiny algae that give coral its nutrients and vivid color) decreased by 75% – 25% more than in coral without bacteria. This result indicates the importance of maintaining water quality at the bacterial community level—a significant finding that improves our ability to protect reef ecosystems in close proximity to human settlements.

2010:
In Kenya, Earthwatch scientists develop the first community mangrove conservation project, “Mikoko Pamoja” (“mangroves together”). It will be funded by the voluntary carbon market through Plan Vivo. Plan Vivo projects are independently assessed and generate Plan Vivo certificates, recognizing their achievement of long-term carbon benefits, conservation of ecosystems, and poverty reduction.

2010:
Costa Rican coffee farmers form the Coopetarrazú cooperative and join innovative workshops on sustainability, certification, and the use of log books, led by Earthwatch and Starbucks staff, Coopetarrazú agronomists, and representatives from the Costa Rican Coffee Institute. As a result, third-party certifiers report increased performance by the farmers on sustainability scores.
2010: The first survey of the marine invertebrates of Cocos Marine Park in the Seychelles is carried out. This represents an important milestone in the project of delivering a complete baseline survey of the marine parks in the granitic islands.
2010: Earthwatch initiates its Middle East Programme to support research on key species and develop capacity among educators and reserve rangers in Oman.

2010:
Earthwatch scientists in Greece make a surprise discovery that five bottlenose dolphins photo-identified in the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago were already known from encounters in the Gulf of Corinth, central Greece. The animals, first spotted in the Gulf of Corinth, would have made a round trip of 350 kilometers. The finding that bottlenose dolphins in the waters of Greece are capable of long-distance movements has implications for population viability, particularly in areas where their density is low.

2000's

2009:
Scientists working with Earthwatch on the African penguin colony on Robben Island, South Africa, develop software to recognize individual penguins by digitally photographing and mapping unique patterns of spots on their chest. The technology will make it possible to use less invasive and therefore less stressful methods of monitoring penguin populations.
2009: The U.N. Development Programme selects Ikh Nart as a “model reserve” in the Mongolian Protected Areas Network, scoring it the highest of all protected areas assessed for conservation management. Earthwatch scientists are invited to work alongside the UNDP to develop protected areas in other parts of Mongolia.

2009:
Earthwatch volunteers on the Earthwatch project Brazil’s Marine Mammals report the first observation of a killer whale undertaking long-distance movements along the southeast coast of Brazil, covering a minimum distance of approximately 550 kilometers over 38 months.

2009:
Earthwatch documentation of the presence of gray whales at Cape Caution, Canada, leads to establishment of a provincial park that encompasses all of the shoreline upland of the whales’ feeding area. Earthwatch data have been used by the U.S. Government’s National Marine Fisheries Service to establish management plans in the event of the international ban on whaling being lifted.

2009:
Results from sampling black sea turtle carcasses, carried out by scientists in Baja California, Mexico, indicate a peak in the number of deaths occurring in June. This corresponds exactly to the guitarfish fishing season, suggesting that turtles are major bycatch victims of this illegal fishery. By showing how many animals are being killed by the guitarfish fishery in San Ignacio lagoon, Earthwatch researchers provide proof to the authorities and obtain assurance that appropriate enforcement will be applied to stop the fishing in 2010.

2009:
Cadbury and Earthwatch conclude a four-year study working in Ghana with local communities and scientists to investigate key issues around biodiversity and cocoa productivity in the country’s cocoa-growing regions. This program leads to a better scientific understanding of cocoa sustainability issues and to an ecotourism initiative at the project site.

2009:
A study by Earthwatch researchers and volunteers on a project in Thailand encourages national park authorities to implement a “no-boat” zone around key hard coral reef sites within the park, marked by mooring ropes and buoys. This has decreased boat-caused damage to reefs in the area.

2009:
Earthwatch scientists in South Africa discover 18 new species of invertebrate, including spiders, snails, millipedes, earthworms, centipedes, and true bugs. The discovery could help protect areas under pressure from development in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province.

2008:
Earthwatch research leads to the designation of the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve as an Important Bird Area of Mongolia, protecting nesting sites of the globally threatened lesser kestrel, cinereous vulture, and golden eagle.

2008:
Earthwatch volunteers working in Queensland, Australia, provide 46,987 records on mammals, birds, reptiles, and frogs. These data contribute to the most detailed distribution maps and ecological surveys on these species to date.

2008:
Earthwatch scientists in South Africa work with other penguin research groups to secure government agreement to close important African penguin foraging grounds to purse-seine fishing for an experimental period of two years commencing January 1, 2009.

2008:
In Hluhluwe, South Africa, impressed with the quality of Earthwatch data, park managers attending an annual animal population control meeting respond by initiating further study of the population decline of kudu and waterbuck.

2008:
In Peru’s Amazonian rainforest, the Samiria River woolly monkey population begins a significant increase thanks to community-based management informed by Earthwatch.

2007-2008:
Protocols for snow measurement developed on an Earthwatch climate change project in Churchill, Manitoba, become the international scientific standard.

2007:
Earthwatch scientists secure agreement from the International Maritime Organisation to divert shipping lanes in the Mediterranean to safeguard crucial foraging grounds for common and bottlenose dolphins.

2007:
Earthwatch scientists and volunteers in Fiji discover ancient Lapita jewelry and other artifacts dating from 1100 to 500 B.C. Landowners agree to protect the location, making it the only Lapita site to be preserved in this way.

2007:
Earthwatch volunteers gather enough data to contribute to the designation of the Bahia de los Angeles in Baja, Mexico, as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, following a six-year campaign for its status to be raised.
2007: After six years of development, Earthwatch scientists finalize their design of silicon rubber flipper bands to be used to mark African penguins. The bands will reduce injuries and other problems caused by traditional metal bands. The first mass banding of chicks from South Africa’s Robben Island with the new design takes place.

2007:
Earthwatch’s global five-year Investing in Nature partnership trains 200 environmental scientists from developing countries and leads to the protection or restoration of close to 1 million hectares of land.

2006:
Earthwatch scientists have involved thousands of people worldwide in developing an online database of whale shark images that enables scientists to identify individual sharks by their unique spot patterns.

2006:
Earthwatch scientists in the Seychelles make important strides in our understanding of how coral reefs may cope with climate change, demonstrating that turbid lagoon systems can act as a refuge for coral species that would otherwise be heavily impacted by bleaching events. The scientists also find that certain coral species may be able to tolerate large fluctuations in environmental and climatic conditions, with implications for coral reef regeneration strategies.

2006:
Scientists find that 20 years of beach conservation on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands have led to a significant increase in the leatherback turtle population.

2005:
Earthwatch teams enable Lake Elmenteita, Kenya, to be designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, helping protect the habitat of almost 30% of the world’s flamingo population.

2005:
Earthwatch research findings prompt the government of Botswana to establish a nesting sanctuary for the Nile crocodile away from human disturbance.

2004:
The Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary is established following four years of field research carried out by Earthwatch and the Nature Conservation Research Centre of Ghana. The researchers demonstrated that a sanctuary would provide a profitable alternative to unsustainable hunting. Earthwatch volunteer donations helped build the sanctuary, and trained local residents manage it. In 2008, the sanctuary wins two prestigious U.N. awards, securing additional funding.

2004:
Ten years of Earthwatch-supported botanical surveys in the Cameroon rainforest lead to the discovery of 50 new plant species and varieties.

2003:
Thanks in part to Earthwatch project Britain’s Basking Sharks, basking sharks are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

2002:
An Earthwatch-supported study helps gain protection for 3,000 hectares of old-growth forest in the Temagami wilderness of Ontario, Canada.

2001:
A Darwin Initiative Grant is given to Earthwatch to ensure that data collected in the wake of the Treasure oil spill in South Africa are integrated into a wider penguin conservation program.

2001:
Earthwatcher James Murphy unearths a nearly complete skeleton of a new species of dinosaur in the Ischigualasto Provincial Park in the Argentinian Andes. In his honor, this early ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex is named Eodromaeus murphi.

2001:
Earthwatch scientists discover the tomb of two celebrated Christian martyrs in Romania, dispelling centuries of debate over the martyrs’ whereabouts.

2001:
Studying the behavior of dusky dolphins in Kaikoura, New Zealand, Earthwatch teams record increased instances of leaps and slaps when tourist boats are in the area. In response to worries that extra activity displayed when boats are present may take the dolphins away from resting or feeding activities, the three main dolphin tour companies agree to give the dolphins a two-hour midday rest between the morning and afternoon tours.

2001:
Earthwatch scientists working in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands celebrate a 10-fold increase in nesting leatherback turtles and a 20-fold increase in hatchings after 20 years of conservation efforts.

2001:
An Earthwatch scientist studying green turtles in Malaysia finds that changes in climate have a very real effect on the sex of new turtle hatchlings. In a nest chamber, the temperature determines the hatchling’s sex, with lower temperatures producing males.

2001:
Argentina's Ischigualasto Valley is named a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to the work of an Earthwatch researcher on fossil beds containing the world's earliest dinosaurs.

2001:
Earthwatch scientist Martin Cheek co-authors two books, The Plants of Mount Cameroon and The Plants of Mount Oku and the Ijim Ridge, Cameroon, using data contributed by Earthwatch Emerging Scientist Fellows.

2000:
The day after the U.S. Navy conducts sonar tests in the Bahamas, Earthwatch scientists receive reports of 16 stranded cetaceans on nearby islands and rescue nine of them. Data gathered from those that didn’t survive provide the first evidence of sound trauma in stranded whales, to add to the long-standing debate over whether low-frequency active sonar being developed by the U.S. Navy causes damage and disorientation to whales and dolphins. In 2001, the U.S. Navy and the National Marine Fisheries Service issue a report confirming that the sonar exercises, combined with oceanographic conditions and the underwater topography, led to the strandings, and plan new policies to prevent a recurrence as well as increasing annual funding for marine mammal research to $9 million.

2000:
Earthwatch scientists unveil an innovative, interactive, global coral disease database after two years of collaboration with the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. The database includes information gathered by Earthwatch volunteers in Puerto Rico.

2000:
In Tanzania, Spanish Earthwatch archaeologists find the oldest evidence to date of woodworking by humans.

2000:
Earthwatch teams clean up around 23,000 penguins that were “oiled” in the Treasure oil spill disaster between Robben and Dassen Islands in South Africa. Twenty thousand penguins are also evacuated from the coast.

1990's

1998:
British American Tobacco begins funding an Earthwatch Fellowships program.

1998:
Earthwatch teams work with villagers to build and test solar ovens in Indonesia, reducing deforestation, curbing the production of carbon dioxide, and stemming lung diseases caused by inhalation of smoke from indoor cooking fires.

1998:
Earthwatch scientist, Zolt Debreczy, completes fieldwork for a world atlas of conifers, with 200,000 specimens, including data from China, Chile, Mexico, Taiwan, and Japan.

1997:
In Montana, Earthwatch teams discover the largest tyrannosaur unearthed to date.

1997:
The Mitsubishi Corporation becomes the first corporate funder of Earthwatch’s initiative to fund individuals and organizations involved with conservation in Africa, Southern Asia, and Eastern Europe. The business collaborates with the Southern African Wildlife College to select two of its outstanding students to participate in a black rhino conservation project in Zimbabwe.

1995:
Earthwatch teams in Zimbabwe make the first observations of one of nature’s greatest vegetarians, the hippo, eating meat, suggesting that drought gave rise to omnivory.

1995:
Work by teams monitoring shorebird habitat needs and migration is instrumental in naming Moreton Bay, Australia, as a Wetland of international Importance by the RAMSAR convention.

1995:
Earthwatch scientists assisted by volunteers provide the first detailed demonstration that dolphin echolocation yields a direct impression of the shape or appearance of an object that enables the dolphin to recognize the same object visually. What a dolphin perceives of an object through its echolocation sense must therefore be functionally similar to what it perceives through its eyes.

1994:
Earthwatch Europe launches a major initiative to assign young African leaders to its expeditions. Earthwatch opens an office in Madrid with Pepe Mayorga. Earthwatch Europe recruits 27 corporations to join its Corporate Environmental Responsibility Group to promote sustainability.

1994:
The first-ever systematic survey of humpback whales off Madagascar by Earthwatch scientists and volunteers assesses the impact of the Indian Ocean Sanctuary created in 1979 by the International Whaling Commission, discovers a possible new migratory route, and finds a substantial increase in whale numbers.

1993:
Volunteers contribute 4.9 million hours of services in a single season.

1993:
Earthwatch teams add 42% more reptiles and 77% more amphibians to the species list for Madagascar's Lokobe Reserve.

1992:
Earthwatch research priorities are reframed increasingly as applied research rather than basic science, evidencing the conservation science contributions of Earthwatch.

1992:
Of 10,000 leatherback turtle hatchlings to make it safely to sea on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, 25% have come from nests relocated from erosion sites by Earthwatch volunteers.

1992:
In 20 years, Earthwatch volunteers have contributed 4,403,700 hours of service to field scientists.

1991:
Earthwatch scientists and volunteers working in Namibia find so much evidence of prehistoric Namibian culture that a museum is built to house it.

1990:
Dr. George Archibald launches expeditions to restore the sarus crane to its native wetlands in Vietnam.

1980's

1987:
Earthwatch receives a Conservation Service Award from Donald Hodel, the U.S. secretary of the interior, for its successful efforts to save endangered Caribbean turtles. On St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, from 30 to 50% of nest failure has been reversed. On Culebra, Puerto Rico, 96% of eggs were being taken by poachers until Earthwatch stopped the practice with nightly beach patrols.

1987:
Earthwatch funds surveys of the geological formations around Nefertari’s tomb in Egypt with the Egyptian Antiquities Organization to determine the source of moisture entering tomb sites and damaging ancient paintings.

1987:
Earthwatch works with Tongan villagers to re-establish traditional clam-fishing techniques and new breeding programs, resulting in the largest increase in endangered clam numbers in the Pacific for 20 years.

1987:
In the middle of the Cold War, Earthwatch launches a collaborative research program with the Russian Academy of Sciences. Earthwatch sponsors the first-ever joint U.S.–U.S.S.R. expedition to Lake Baikal in Siberia, looking at water quality and pollutants.

1985:
Earthwatch initiates the first of a series of investigations into the domestication of rice in Thailand, leading to further research on the origins of agriculture in different parts of the world.

1985:
Earthwatch teams discover Santa Catalina de Guale, a Spanish mission on St. Catherine’s Island , Georgia, U.S., dated 50 years before the English landings at Plymouth and Jamestown. The mission was Spain’s northernmost outpost on the Atlantic coast.

1984:
A two-year project is funded in Bali, Indonesia, on the manufacture of gamelan instruments and the performance of gamelan music, working with Indonesian master craftsmen, musicians, metallurgists, and musicologists from the Indonesian Academy.

1984:
The first climatic survey is launched to study the interspecies evolution of bird populations separated for millennia by warming Australian climates.

1984:
Earthwatch funds its first expeditions to Japan to study the genetics of raccoon dogs and traditional dance forms unique to the Ryuku islands.

1984:
Sandy Point in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, is designated a National Wildlife Refuge by the U.S. government because of the work of Earthwatch scientists and volunteers to eliminate poaching and rescue turtle hatchlings. In 1987 the Earthwatch project receives a Conservation Award for its work. By 2000, poaching was reduced to zero and more than 140,000 hatchlings had been saved.

1983:
Earthwatch begins a series of investigations with the Aboriginal community to document and preserve endangered rock art in Queensland, Australia.

1983:
Dr. George Archibald organizes a series of expeditions to China to save the endangered red-crowned crane, a first international rescue effort by Earthwatch.

1983:
Research is conducted on the climatic impacts of El Niño on seabird populations on Christmas Island.

1983:
The first field study is funded of Ayurvedic medicinal plants in the Gir Forest and Mt. Abu, Gujarat, India.

1982:
Earthwatch funds three years of architectural surveys in China led by Paul and Rhoda Sun to assess the ancient building traditions of China in the face of rapid modernization – the first Earthwatch project after the opening of China.

1982:
Earthwatch teams study the impact of drought on kangaroo populations and their competition for water sources with livestock near Fowler’s Gap, Australia.

1982:
Ecosystems research becomes a priority with investigations of insect–tree interactions and canopy shifts in the dry forests of Australia and Costa Rica.

1982:
Earthwatch publishes The First Ten Years, reporting 813,300 hours of volunteer service to science and $2.4 million in grants to 343 expedition teams, of which one-third were in archaeology. 86% of funding was contributed by Earthwatch members and volunteers, 90% of whom were adult college graduates and 45% of whom had advanced degrees.

1982:
Earthwatch begin funding long-term research with a 15-year study of free-ranging dolphin communities in Sarasota Bay, Florida, tracking the lives of 7,800 individuals in more than 1,000 schools.

1982:
Earthwatch volunteers working in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, collect evidence of impending ecological problems on fragile barrier beaches, contributing to the Coastal Barrier Resources Act passed by the U.S. Congress to protect the region.

1982:
Earthwatch teams explore inside the red zone at Mount St. Helens in Washington State to monitor the natural reseeding of the area devastated by the volcanic eruption.

1982:
Guatemala expands Tikal National Park to include Uaxactun, prompted by 1974 restoration work at this important Maya site.

1981:
Earthwatch scientists discover a new species of funnel-web spider that exists only in a narrow band of rainforest in Queensland, Australia. The species is named Aname earthwatchorum (“of the Earthwatchers”), the second species to be named after Earthwatch.

1981:
Earthwatch extends its ocean research to long-term studies on dolphin language and behavior and interactions between whales and boats in coastal waters of Hawaii.

1980:
Earthwatch volunteers working in Hawaii discover a gold lace nudibranch (sea slug), later named Halgerda terramtuentis (“looking at the earth with care”) in tribute to Earthwatch volunteers.

1980:
Earthwatch funds its first expedition to China to study the mediation systems of local courts for a criminologist and his team of sociologists from Salem State College in Massachusetts. Rare access to Chinese prisons is granted the team on the eve of the Gang of Four trials.

1979:
The first Earthwatch field study of medicinal plants is conducted.

1979:
Earthwatch supports a major excavation at the Church of St. Wystan, Repton, Derby, U.K., where successive teams discover the burials of 250 Saxon warriors believed slain by invading Danes and the first Viking encampment and slip for a long boat.

1978:
Earthwatch sponsors its first public health study, investigating transmissible diseases carried by coyotes and other wildlife, such as bubonic plague, rabies, and Coccidioides immitis (a fungus that causes valley fever). Earthwatch serves as an intermediary between conservationists and ranchers who were losing livestock to predators.

1977:
Earthwatch teams undertake an ambitious project to study coral reefs in the Caribbean – completing as many as 500 volunteer dives in a single season. These efforts produce one of the largest and most detailed coral reef maps ever made.

1977:
The first long-term survey of hawksbill turtles in Grenada is conducted.

1977:
The first deep ocean cytology surveys of humpback whales near the Dominican Republic are conducted.

1977:
The first study of declining biodiversity in wet tropical forests of New Guinea by Dr. Linsey Gressit is conducted.

1977:
The first oral history survey of freelance musicians in New York is conducted.

1977:
The first expedition to preserve the art history and photographic archives of Martin Chambi in Cuzco, Peru, is conducted. Photographic exhibits tour museums in Latin America and the U.S.

1977:
Earthwatch receives a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to encourage funding of research in folklore, architecture, and ethnomusicology.

1977:
Teams travel to California's Black Canyon to document 10,000 petroglyphs, the earliest remnants of the nation's artistic heritage, before they disappear.

1974:
Earthwatch rediscovers and funds the full restoration of a lost Mayan monument, the temple of Uaxactun in Guatemala.

1974:
The first coral reef surveys are conducted in Australia, the Solomon Islands, and the Bahamas, investigating diseased and damaged corals. Early signs of coral reef dieback are detected. Giant clam circles are introduced to islanders to save the species from overharvesting.

1974:
The first volunteer team helps excavate remains of prehistoric Mediterranean cultures on the island of Mallorca, Spain – a project supported by Earthwatch for more than 30 years.

1974:
Larry Agenbroad begins excavations of bison in Nebraska.

1973:
Major expeditions go to Mauritania and Ethiopia for a total eclipse of the sun, supporting a dozen scientists from the Harvard College Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Teams search for intermercurial (inside the orbit of Mercury) objects.

1973:
Earthwatch examines the anthropological impacts of a total eclipse on the Borano people in Ethiopia. Earthwatch funds its first field research on hominid evolution in South Africa and its first anthropological research in Ethiopia.

1973:
Teams of volunteer divers map the coral reefs of British Honduras, launching marine surveys of world reefs.

1973:
The first ecological baseline survey for a conservation plan in the Arun Valley of Nepal is conducted.

1973:
The first behavioral study of guanaco populations in the Peruvian Andes is conducted.

1973:
The first U.S. expeditions are conducted: ecological surveys of Cape Cod’s Pleasant Bay and the Elizabeth Islands.

1972:
A major expedition descends into the crater of an active volcano near Goma in eastern Zaire. The National Geographic Society films the expedition for CBS, and The Violent Earth, with Leslie Nielsen narrating, reaches a record audience of 30 million viewers on national television.

1972:
The first Early Man archaeology project fields in Israel. Dozens of Middle Eastern excavations follow.

1972:
The first Earthwatch marine archaeological excavations are initiated. Earthwatch funds the recovery of a Bermuda shipwreck for the Smithsonian Institution, followed by an excavation of Gythion Harbor, Greece. The first astronomical expedition to Nova Scotia is designed to prepare instruments for observing the Mauritania eclipse in 1973.

1971:
The first five projects are incorporated as Educational Expeditions International, operating in Belmont, Massachusetts. Teams document active and extinct volcanoes in Ethiopia, Iceland, Costa Rica, and the Pacific Island of Fernandina. A fifth project excavates a Stone Age rock shelter in Zambia, our first archaeological expedition.

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